Automagnetic bowling alley



| G. REGNIER AUTOMAGNETIC BOWLING ALLEY Filed Aug. 27. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 13 1924'.

L. G. REGNIER AUTOMAGNETIC BOWLING ALLEY Filed Aug. 27. 1921 s Shets-Shqet 2 ATTORNEY8 May 1924' 1,494,285 1.; G. REGNIER AUTOMAGNETIC BOWLING ALLEY:

Filed M12. 27, 1921 a Sheets-Shgt 3 INVENTOR 100/5" 6. F/V/EE I adapted to be influenced by magnets 13 or j At the real-of Patented ey 13, 1924.

NiTED STATES LOUIS G. assume, or nnw YORK, n. Y.

AUTOMAGNETIC BOWLING ALLEY.

Application filed August 27, 1921. ScriaLNo. 495,919. 3

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Louis G. Roxucn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of the Bronx. in the county of Bronx and State of New York, having invented a new and Im proved Auton'iagnetic Bowling Alley, of which the following is a description.

The general object oi my invention is to provide a bowling alleyhaving automatic means for-carrying the pins out of normal position in the alley when the pins are struck and having means whereby the pins may be mechanically set up.

The manner in which the above and other objects as will appear are attained will be readily understood from the following description of a practical embodiment of the invention.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speclfication, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a bowling alley constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof:

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 33, Figure 1, showing certain of the pins automatically raised and the resetting head in the raised position;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but with the resetting head lowered and the pins in set-up position;

Figure 5 is a rear end alley; and

Figure 6 is a transverse vertical section on the line 6-6, Figure 2.

view of the bowling In carrying out my invention in accord anee with the illustrated example, a suitable base 10 is provided having the usual raised ball run and pin table. The pins 11 have in practice metallic elements 12 at the bottom equivalent pin-holding means, there being one magnet in the base structure and pin platform beneath each pin.

The pins are secured at their upper ends to cords, wires, or like flexible elements 14 that run upwardly to sheaves 15- on a structure 16 rigid with the base, said flexible elements having weights 17 suspended thereon and operating in-vertical weight pockets 18. the alley is a suitable back stop 19.-

The alley is adapted to employ the we11- known bowling balls. These when. rolled against the pins are run to a slopingtransveise gutter 20 with which is a communicating gutter 20 running rearwardly, the rear end of the bowling alley having a hole 20* through which the balls may pass to an elevator 21, the bottom 21 of which is inclined longitudinally.

The elevator 21 is adapted to be manually raised by a hoist rope 23 running over a pulley 24 on the elevator guide frame or fixed structure 22, said rope running downwardly about a sheave 25 on the .base 10 at the under side and forwardly to any convenient point to be pulled by an attendant or player. 01', said ropes may be otherwise run fortheir convenient operation. When the elevator is raised the balls will run from the inclined bottom thereof to a trackway 37 running in practice to the front of the alley.

Above the pins 11 is a resetting head 26. Vertical holes or .poekets 27 in the resetting head 26 are adapted to accommodate a pin 11 when the latter is raised by the weights 17. Said head 26 moves between suitable vertical guides 26 forming a part of the fixed alley structure.

Resilient elements are provided on the resetting head 26 at the top and are positioned to extend across the pockets 27. Said elements 28 serve to insure contact between the pins and magnets when the resetting'head is lowered. The elements 28 also serve as cushions or shock absorbers in receiving the impact of the pins when the latter are raised. Each element 28 presents an eye through which a flexible element 14 runs to and from a sheave 15, the opposite end of the guide from the eye being suitably secured to the top of the head 26 as by screws 29.

To the head 26 is secured cords, wires, or other flexible elements 30, which run rearwardly to and over pulleys 31 and downwardly to a counter-balance weight 32 nor- 1 mally tending to maintain the resetting head 28, usually of wire ropes 33 are secured to the weight 32 and i run upwardly and about sheaves 34, thence downwardly, preferably through vertical guide tubes 35 in the weight 32, and about sheaves 36 on the the under side of the ,base to a convenient base 10 and forwardly at v 'ofe point to be pulled by an-attendant or player. Obviously, the ropes 33 may run to any hanger arms 39 which extend slidably through keepers 40 on the resetting head 26 to have vertical movement relatively to said head. The downward movement of the guards 38 relatively to the head 26 is limited by collars, 41, nuts, or the like on the hangers 39 at their upper ends.

With the above described construction when balls'are rolled against the pins 11, the impact will overcome the influence of the magnet 13 so that the struck pins will be free'to respond to 'a pull of the wei hts 17 so that the saidlpins will be cause to rise into the openings 27 of head 26. When it is desired to restore the pins the head 26 is lowered by exerting a pull on the ropes 33 for raising the weight 32. In the lowering of the head 26 the guards 38 will pass, between the pins and strike the pin platform but the slidable connection between the hangers 29 and head 26p will ermit said head to continue its downwar movement for the placing of the pins 11 directly above the magnets 13. The head 26 in being raised will move relatively to the guards 38.

I would state in conclusion that while the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself strictly to the exact details herein illustrated,'since, manifestly, the same can be considerably varied without de arture from the spirit of the invention as efined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A bowling alley, pins therein, means to hold the pins in position for a pla weighted flexible elements secured to sai pins and tending to raise the latter, a resettmg head provided with slidable guides adapted to receive the pins when raised, said guides guiding said pins, flexible elements suspending the resetting head, a suspended weight to which said last-mentioned elements are secured, said weight normally maintaining the resetting head raised, and manually operative means to raise said weight and permit said head to lower.

2. A bowling alley, pins therein, means tending to raise the pins from set position,

ia movable head adaptedto receive said pins when raised, means to hold the pins in the set position against the tendency to rise until the pins are struck, and guards positioned in planes adjacent to the vertical planes of the pins and slidably carried by said head to prevent undue displacement ofv the pins.

3. A bowling alley, pins therein, means to Hold the pins in set position until struck, means secured to the individual ins to raise the same when released from said holding means,' a resetting head above the set position of the pins and movable downwardly for the resetting of the pins, and guards disposed in vertical planes alternating with the vertical planesrof the rows of pins, said guards being slidably connected with the said resetting head for vertical movement relatively to the head when the latter is lowered.

4. A bowling alley including pins, means for holding the respective pins in their set positions, means to raise the pins whenbowled'over, a resetting head for the pins, said head being normally in a position above the pins and adapted to be lowered, and resilient means carried by said head in positions to engage the pins when the latter are raised, said resilient means being adapted to press the pins to positions above the holding means with the lowering of the resetting head; together with ried by said head an movable relatively to said head. i

LOUIS e. REGNIER? in guard means car- 

